Major Road Construction

Why is this construction necessary now and why can’t we defer the work?

This isn't just about pavement; it's about the foundation of Brant.

Supports Wellbeing

• Essential Services: Reliable water and wastewater systems are necessary for basic health and sanitation
• Mobility: Safe and well-maintained roads, paths and sidewalks enable people to access jobs, healthcare, education, and social activities efficiently.
• Accessibility and Social Connection: Well-designed and maintained public spaces, like the new Downtown Paris, allow for citizens with walkers, strollers and wheelchairs to better access the stores, restaurants, events and other services
• Health and Wellness: Access to infrastructure that supports active living (safe sidewalks, multiuse paths and bike paths) is linked to improved physical and mental health outcomes.

Ensures Public Safety and Resilience

• Emergency Response: Robust transportation networks and reliable utilities ensure that police, fire, and medical services can respond effectively during emergencies.
• Disaster Mitigation: Modern stormwater systems help communities withstand and recover quickly from extreme weather events, minimizing damage
• Public Health Protection: Proper maintenance prevents failures like watermain breaks and sewer overflows, which ensures the ongoing protection of human health and the environment.

Drives Economic Growth and Financial Health

• Business Efficiency: Efficient movement of goods and services lowers costs for businesses, enhancing productivity and competitiveness.
• Job Creation: Investment in infrastructure projects creates immediate jobs in construction and engineering, and long-term jobs in related service industries.
• Fiscal Responsibility: Proactive, planned maintenance is the most cost-effective strategy, preventing expensive, reactive emergency repairs and reducing long-term financial burdens on the municipality and taxpayers.

If the County deferred replacing critical infrastructure, what would happen?

• Service Failures: Increased risk of sudden water main breaks, sewage backups and flooding from poor stormwater management systems.
• Costly Emergencies: Planned replacement is significantly cheaper than emergency repairs
• Economic Impact: Deteriorating infrastructure deters investment and lowers property values.  We want businesses to invest in the County so residents have gainful and plentiful employment opportunities.
• Increased operational expenses: Water treatment plants that are less energy efficient lead to higher operating costs.
• Increased insurance costs: A history of infrastructure failures and climate-related damage can drive up municipal insurance premiums.
• Regulatory Responsibilities: Brant would not be meeting their provincial requirements which could lead to significant fines and legal liabilities.

• Residents would become dissatisfied with poor service quality (poor roads, water interruptions, sewage backups, flooding etc.), leading to a decline in trust and confidence in Brant.

Maintaining municipal infrastructure is an investment in the long-term sustainability, livability, and prosperity of the community.

When major road construction occurs, it often involves replacing and upgrading infrastructure such as sewers, watermains, stormwater systems, fire services, intersections, adding and replacing sidewalks, and/or multi use paths, and configuring the road to calm traffic.

The infrastructure being replaced today was built decades ago, particularly during the post-war boom from the late 1940s to the early 1970s, which created the core of the province's current public infrastructure due to rapid economic and population growth. The Province of Ontario also released funding opportunities to encourage municipalities to replace infrastructure. Water and wastewater infrastructure spending increased from the 1970’s to mid-80’s. Road specific funding increased in the late 1990’s to early 2000s.

This infrastructure, built during the mid-20th century, is reaching the end of its lifespan and requires replacement or significant rehabilitation and it’s all coming due at the same time.  This means we are going to experience a lot of construction in this community (and most other communities in the province) for the next many years. 

Today, the Provincial and Federal governments are heavily investing again in the upgrades to water, wastewater and road reconstruction.  

Projects are planned and prioritized based on:

• critical need (what is in urgent need of replacement),
• funding opportunities (so you don’t have to pay through your property taxes),
• what areas are growing the fastest.

With more homes being built and more people moving to Brant, we are upgrading the infrastructure to make sure the water, sewers, stormwater, fire services, intersections, roads and sidewalks can provide a high quality of service for residents, businesses and visitors!   

The current infrastructure was in place to serve the population in Brant during the post-war boom in the 1960s.  Since the 1960s, our community has grown significantly, placing more demand on existing infrastructure like water, wastewater, roads, intersections, fire service etc. and it is time to be replaced and upgraded to meet today and future needs!

Why are people moving here?

Brant is awesome and blessed with nature’s paradise and friendly charm, ideally positioned near major highways and big cities… who wouldn’t want to move here?!

As a response to high housing costs across Ontario, the Provincial Government legislated municipalities to “Build More Homes Faster” to bring housing prices down. 

Brant is one of many municipalities in Ontario that is seeing growth.  Paris and St. George are seeing or will see the most growth which will strain existing infrastructure. These two communities have approximately 90% of the County’s underground infrastructure so the majority of the major road construction will occur in these areas.

Why does it seem like Paris or St. George’s infrastructure are prioritized?

• The urban areas are experiencing the most growth and require more immediate attention to meet the growth needs. 
• Wastewater servicing is what separates the communities for urbanization.
• Urban areas have more underground infrastructure including water, sewers, stormwater, fire services, and other infrastructure such as roads, intersections and sidewalks.  The major construction projects are often complex and lengthy due to the amount of infrastructure replacement.  

Rural areas in Brant are vital to the County and need to be protected.  Rural infrastructure is important and we’ll be sharing a variety of rural infrastructure projects that will be occurring.  Rural road construction projects are often less complex, are completed quicker and can often maintain at least one lane of traffic.

Upgrading infrastructure helps combat climate change and build resilience by incorporating climate-resilient design which can protect communities from disasters like floods. These adaptations lead to significant long-term economic savings by preventing costly damage and disruption. 

Major road construction projects can include replacing and upgrading sewers, watermains, stormwater systems, fire services, improving intersections, adding sidewalks, and/or multi use paths, and configuring the road to calm traffic. 

• Upgraded storm sewers handle increased rainfall and using materials that can withstand more extreme weather can prevent flooding and protect properties. 

• Building roads and sidewalks with stronger, more resilient materials can prevent damage from heat waves, heavy rainfall, and freeze-thaw cycles.

• Rehabilitating existing pipes reduces rainwater and groundwater infiltration, ensuring the sewer system has enough capacity during storms.